Union Square (Washington, D.C.)

The area constituting Union Square was originally part of the U.S. Capitol complex, but beginning in the 1930s the National Park Service assumed jurisdiction over the site.{{cite news|last=Ruane|first=Michael E.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/control-of-the-malls-union-square-changes-hands/2011/12/22/gIQAtOSOLP_story.html|title=Control of the Mall's Union Square changes hands|work=PostLocal|publisher=The Washington Post|date=2011-12-27|access-date=2012-01-05}} In 2012 the Trust for the National Mall selected Seattle-based landscape architects Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (GGN) and New York-based architects Davis Brody Bond (DBB) for the redesign of Union Square. The winning design was judged on flexibility, sustainability, and creativity of their design and how well it reflected the established vision and design influences of this historic setting.{{cite web | url=https://www.archdaily.com/232234/national-mall-winning-design-proposal-for-union-square-gustafson-guthrie-nichol-davis-brody-bond | title=National Mall Winning Design Proposal for Union Square / Gustafson Guthrie Nichol + Davis Brody Bond | date=7 May 2012 }}

However, the 112th United States Congress enacted the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012, which transferred to the Architect of the Capitol the NPS "property which is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, on the east by First Street Northwest and First Street Southwest, on the south by Maryland Avenue Southwest, and on the west by Third Street Southwest and Third Street Northwest".{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ74/pdf/PLAW-112publ74.pdf|title=Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012|work=Public Law 112-74, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012|publisher=United States Government Printing Office|date=2011-12-23|page=125 STAT. 1129|access-date=2012-03-02|quote=
TRANSFER TO ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
Sec. 1202. (a) Transfer.—To the extent that the Director of the National Park Service has jurisdiction and control over any portion of the area described in subsection (b) and any monument or other facility which is located within such area, such jurisdiction and control is hereby transferred to the Architect of the Capitol as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Area Described.—The area described in this subsection is the property which is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, on the east by First Street Northwest and First Street Southwest, on the south by Maryland Avenue Southwest, and on the west by Third Street Southwest and Third Street Northwest.}}

The Act removed Union Square from NPS jurisdiction. The transfer of ownership occasioned some controversy as the NPS and the Trust for The National Mall had planned to enhance the area to accommodate political demonstrations, gatherings and entertainment events.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107122616/http://www.nps.gov/nationalmallplan/Documents/FEIS/NAMA_Summary2010.pdf|archive-date=2012-11-07|url=http://www.nps.gov/nationalmallplan/National%20Mall%20Plan.html|title=Update on the National Mall Plan|work=Enriching Your American Experience: The National Mall Plan|page=13|publisher= National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior|year=2010|access-date=2015-12-22}} The NPS expressed surprise at the move and some advocates for protest groups complained, asserting that the Architect of the Capitol and the United States Capitol Police (who were now responsible for security) were likely to be less tactful and accommodating to demonstrators than the Park Police. A Washington Post writer stated: "Although definitions of what constitutes the [National] Mall vary, the [2011] provision, in a sense, moves its easternmost boundary west — from First Street to Third Street."

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{{United States Capitol Complex}}

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Category:Landmarks in Washington, D.C.

Category:National Mall

Category:Squares, plazas, and circles in Washington, D.C.

Category:United States Capitol grounds